


This Isn't Halloween

by craterdweller



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 07:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2301689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craterdweller/pseuds/craterdweller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During their first year in Atlantis, John misses celebrating Halloween on Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Isn't Halloween

Elizabeth Weir looked around the dining hall. She spotted Colonel John Sheppard sitting alone, staring out the window. “Penny for your thoughts?” When he didn’t respond, she cleared her throat. “Colonel? Are you alright?”

He blinked. “Uh, sorry. I was just thinking. This will be my first Halloween away from Earth. There’s nothing here,” he indicated the expanse of ocean, “that reminds me of Halloween. No pumpkins, no turning leaves.” He slumped in his seat.

“I dunno, Colonel. The Wraith are pretty scary. I think I could do with a little less of their kind of Halloween,” Rodney said as he joined them.

“What are we talking about?” Teyla asked as she too sat at their table.

“Colonel Sheppard was saying how much he missed Halloween,” Elizabeth supplied the newcomers while masking her disappointment of the missed opportunity to share a private meal with John.

“What is Halloween?”

“A commercial holiday where little children dress as ghouls, goblins and all kinds of scary monsters so they can hit you up for some free candy, which they then consume until they are sick, but not before making all the adults miserable with their hyperactivity.” Rodney scowled as he took a sip of coffee.

“Gee, Rodney, I would have thought you would love Halloween,” Elizabeth teased.

“Not particularly.”

“It’s not just about the kids and the scary decorations. It’s about the last gasps of autumn before the more severe winter weather, where leaves turn vibrant shades of reds, yellows, oranges and purples. Its picking pumpkins off the vine and turning them into pies.” Sheppard shook his head as he trailed off. He was wasting his breath on this group.

“That does sound splendid, John. I would love to visit earth during this Halloween time.” Teyla smiled at him.

Elizabeth hid her scrutiny behind her coffee mug. They’d not been on Atlantis very long and she was still a little distrustful of Teyla and her people, despite the fact that they had turned out to be quite useful allies. She hushed the little voice that wondered about her interest in John. “Well, we may not be able to make pumpkin pie, but I’m sure we can come up with something.”

John smiled, feeling a bit better. True, he would miss a proper Halloween at home, but starting new traditions with this group wasn’t so bad either. “Yeah. That’s sounds like a plan."

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a 1-million-words weekend challenge and also fills the prompt: The Company of Strangers (well relatively anyway) for Gen Prompt bingo round 3.


End file.
